Galaxy cluster number count data constraints on cosmological parameters

• Published in: The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields Vol. 72; no. 11; pp. 1 - 21
• Main Authors: Campanelli, L., Fogli, G. L., Kahniashvili, T., Marrone, A., Ratra, Bharat
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.11.2012; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Amplitudes; Analysis; Astronomical models; Astronomy; Astrophysics and Cosmology; Big Bang theory; Cosmic microwave background; Cosmological constant; Cosmology; Dark energy; Density; Dependence; Elementary Particles; Exact sciences and technology; Galactic clusters; Galactic evolution; Galaxies; Growth factors; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Hubble constant; Laws, regulations and rules; Measurement Science and Instrumentation; Nuclear Energy; Nuclear Physics; Parameterization; Parameters; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Quantum Field Theories; Quantum Field Theory; Red shift; Regular Article - Theoretical Physics; String Theory; Supernovae; The physics of elementary particles and fields; Toy industry; Variations; Galaxy Cluster; Cosmological Constant; Dark Energy; Dark Energy Model; Hubble Parameter; Cluster analysis; Red shift; Galaxies; Cosmic background radiation; Parameterization; Type I supernova; Cosmological constant; Dark energy; Power law; Cosmological models; Mathematical physics; Data analysis; Fluctuations; Power spectra; Critical density; Baryons; Enumeration(counting); Galaxy clusters; Equations of state; Energy equation; Cosmological parameter; Density perturbation; Elementary particles; Hubble constant; Cosmology
• ISSN: 1434-6044; 1434-6052
• DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-012-2218-4

We use data on massive galaxy clusters ( M cluster >8×10 14 h −1 M ⊙ within a comoving radius of R cluster =1.5 h −1  Mpc) in the redshift range 0.05≲ z ≲0.83 to place constraints, simultaneously, on the nonrelativistic matter density parameter Ω m , on the amplitude of mass fluctuations σ 8 , on the index n of the power-law spectrum of the density perturbations, and on the Hubble constant H 0 , as well as on the equation-of-state parameters ( w 0 , w a ) of a smooth dark energy component. For the first time, we properly take into account the dependence on redshift and cosmology of the quantities related to cluster physics: the critical density contrast, the growth factor, the mass conversion factor, the virial overdensity, the virial radius and, most importantly, the cluster number count derived from the observational temperature data. We show that, contrary to previous analyses, cluster data alone prefer low values of the amplitude of mass fluctuations, σ 8 ≤0.69 (1 σ C.L.), and large amounts of nonrelativistic matter, Ω m ≥0.38 (1 σ C.L.), in slight tension with the Λ CDM concordance cosmological model, though the results are compatible with Λ CDM at 2 σ . In addition, we derive a σ 8 normalization relation, (2 σ C.L.). Combining cluster data with σ 8 -independent baryon acoustic oscillation observations, cosmic microwave background data, Hubble constant measurements, Hubble parameter determination from passively evolving red galaxies, and magnitude–redshift data of type Ia supernovae, we find and , the former in agreement and the latter being slightly lower than the corresponding values in the concordance cosmological model. We also find , the fit to the data being almost independent on n in the adopted range [0.90,1.05]. Concerning the dark energy equation-of-state parameters, we show that the present data on massive clusters weakly constrain ( w 0 , w a ) around the values corresponding to a cosmological constant, i.e. ( w 0 , w a )=(−1,0). The global analysis gives and (1 σ C.L. errors). Very similar results are found in the case of time-evolving dark energy with a constant equation-of-state parameter w =const (the XCDM parametrization). Finally, we show that the impact of bounds on ( w 0 , w a ) is to favor top-down phantom models of evolving dark energy.